Bowman's capsule Bow·man's capsule (bō'mənz)n. A double-walled, cup-shaped structure around the glomerulus of each nephron of the vertebrate kidney. It serves as a filter to remove organic wastes, excess inorganic salts, and water. Also called malpighian capsule.

(bō'mənz) A cup-shaped structure around the glomerulus of each nephron of the vertebrate kidney. It serves as a filter to remove organic wastes, excess inorganic salts, and water. Bowman's capsule is named after its identifier, English physician and physiologist, Sir William Bowman (1816-1892).